Top Blogger Malin Richardson on the Most Instagrammable Afternoon Tea Hangs in Town
Top blogger Malin Richardson on the most instagrammable Afternoon Tea hangs in Town
We might be truly madly deeply in love with coffee here at the YCB offices, but that doesn’t mean we can’t resist a good afternoon tea. Living in the city, there’s an endless supply of hangouts to get your afternoon tea fix and no one knows this better than superstar blogger Malin Richardson. Malin’s blog, A Fashionista’s Guide, is a smorgasbord of lifestyle tips and sleek city guides, if we were going to ask one person for their favourite London haunts, it was always going to be Malin. A self-confessed tea lover, dubbing it ‘more of a passion than a beverage’, Malin began her blog back in 2007 age 17 and it has developed into a personal powerhouse of her own musings and images. ‘I have always loved writing, so the blog was a natural transition for me in terms of writing!’
After a media breakthrough in 2009 and features across magazines/radio and tv, Malin’s blog got a huge boost and soon became a full-time job for her. ‘I have had my blog as my full-time business for 5 years now and it hasn’t always been easy! Especially in the beginning when you are trying to figure out the whole business aspect of it!’ She tells us. ‘It was very common that big companies would use you as a big blogger and under pay you because you were young and didn’t understand the value of the platform that you had built. But I always try and look at the positive side of things and I have learnt so incredibly much the last 10 years, being a part of this whole new blogging era and the business that it has become!’ Malin’s attitude, particularly in a world overwhelmed by sponsored content is refreshingly honest and relatable.
If she weren’t blogging, Malin would not be far from the creative field, leaning towards communications, PR or marketing, ‘so pretty much the same thing that I’m doing now but I would be doing it for a company and not for myself.’ she explains. ‘I don’t think I would have had the guts to start my own company if I hadn’t gone in this direction, for me it was such a natural move as a blogger to start my own business.’ Back to the matter at hand, where to attend the best afternoon tea! Malin’s life is so fast-paced and interesting I could ask her anything!
Let’s stick with London though, how does she feel about our beloved city? ‘I love London with all my heart and my boyfriend Johan and I are planning on moving here in the near future! I can truly see myself living in London!’ Malin tells us. With favourite regular spots including The Goring and Brown’s Hotel, Malin certainly knows her way around London. Her afternoon tea spots are just as impressive, opting for The Berkeley’s ‘Pret a Portea’ for those Instagram moments as well as Claridges, Browns and The Goring for the classic afternoon tea experience. ‘They never let me down!’
On the subject of Instagram, we have to know what makes an Instagrammer like Malin tick. So we fired some of our best questions at her; like most Instagrammable cocktail? ‘I would have to say a coconut drink on a beach on the Maldives’. Or how about most Instagrammable restaurants? ‘I love instagramming from healthy breakfast cafés, a fresh acai bowl with a matcha latte, a combination I love! I usually instagram a delicious breakfast or brunch session, those are my favourite meals of the day!’ A girl after our own hearts, most mornings in the office consist of a little brunch inspo to start the day!
Malin’s relatable nature and low key attitude is what keeps her blog and her Instagram on a daily growth, harnessing her creativity and personal style to cultivate the brand that her blog is to her readers. Her continuous focus on her blog and her readership at its core is inspiring, considering most bloggers allow their Instagram to overtake their blog. ‘You usually follow between 400 – 700 people on instagram so your content drown in the feed of instagram, that’s why it’s so important to keep the readers on your blog.’ So as we offer Malin advice on our favourite places in London (she asks us for beauty haunts), we’re making bookings for our next afternoon tea – watch our Instagram!
